Norton, Mass. - April 26, 2024 - The Springfield College softball team delivered an important New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) split at Wheaton on Friday afternoon.  Wheaton took the first game, 5-4, in eight innings before the Pride cruised to an 11-0 victory in a five-inning nightcap. 

Springfield is now 23-7-1 on the year, including 11-3 against conference foes.  

Springfield will travel to take on Clark on Saturday for a pair of conference games starting at 12 pm.

Game 1 - Wheaton 5, Springfield 4 (8 innings)
Carissa Pecchia (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) paced the Pride offense with a 2-4 effort that included a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Callie Gendron (Berlin, Conn.) was 1-4 with a double and a run batted in. Alli Olsen (Ridgewood, N.J.) also chipped in going 2-5 with a run scored, a stolen base and an RBI.Amelia DeRosa (Miller Place, N.Y.) allowed five runs on 10 hits to go with a strikeout and no walks in seven and a third innings pitched and drops to 12-4 with the loss. 

The Lyons scored the first three runs of the game with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the second to take a 3-0 lead thanks to a three-run shot.  

Springfield didn't waste any time getting a run back in the next half inning with Pecchia lifting a lead-off double over the center fielder's head, before Gendron traded places with her after crushing a pitch off the top of the left field fence to put the Pride on the board. 

Springfield pulled even with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to make it 3-3. Emilia Santiago (West Hartford, Conn.) laced a single to center to open the inning, before being pushed to second on a sacrifice. Olsen came through with a single to the left-center gap to plate Santiago. DeRosa helped her cause with a single to left to put runners on the corners, before Olsen scored on a ground out to tie the contest. 

The visitors scored a run in the eighth to take a 4-3 edge in extra innings. Lucy Puskas (Roxbury, Conn.) was placed on second base and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, before scampering home with the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Santiago.

However, Wheaton used a bunt single and error by the Pride to even things up before a run-scoring double completed the comeback. 

Game 2 - Springfield 11, Wheaton 0 (5 innings)
Gendron produced a home run and double as she went 3-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored, while Ashley Pugliese (Long Island, N.Y.) pitched a six-high shutout for the Pride. 

Springfield plated five runs in the first inning, as they cracked six hits, including a two-run double from Michaela Ponticello (Gloversville, N.Y.). 

The Pride added four runs in the third thanks to a two-out rally before singles from Ava Rainone (White Plains, N.Y.) and Olsen, set up a run-scoring base knock by DeRosa and a two-run single from Gendron. 

The visitors put the game away in the fifth after Gendron belted a homer, scoring DeRosa who led off the frame with a single for the Pride.   

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